Psssst. Life Joyfully

Imagine that you were walking down the street one day and you see a poster on the wall advertising the following. Free seminar: Live joyously every day of your life regardless of health status, finances, employment, personal relationships or social interactions. I wonder if you would go? The sceptic may assume many things? What’s the catch? What are they selling? Which religion do they belong to? What will they want from me? Nothing is that easy, right? Perhaps your curiosity would lead you towards this event? Is there a part of you inside that registers this as a real possibility?

Throughout history there are those who have walked amongst us who have able to live joyously independent of any life event that unfolds around them. We usually associate sourcing this type of soul within India, monasteries, holy men. They are available these advanced souls; even locally. If you seek you may find. Living joyously is the potential seed inside all of humanity. Those who are able to do it have divested themselves of their personalities and are operating from their soul qualities. Life ceases to be a struggle and becomes a wondrous sea of potentials. All that comes towards the higher conscious soul of this calibre is growth and learning. Opportunity, exploration, play, gifting, loving, teaching, interacting, communicating. How do they live in Joy, these people? They will willingly share this with you, if you are ready to hear it. Prompting others towards their own soul unfolding is a strong commitment of those who inhabit this space.

There are steps towards this state of beingness. One of the very first is recognising that we have a choice in how we view events around us. In moving from an ego or personality state towards a soul state requires a relentless ongoing daily question? Is my current behaviour coming from personality or from soul? How would I possibly know? Well there is one easy way to tell. If you are operating from personality you will be feeling that the way an event in unfolding, or a final outcome, is not the way you would have liked it. You are attached to things happening in a particular way or resulting in a specific outcome.

Consider the following: You have applied for a new job that really ticks lots of your boxes (ie job satisfaction, creative input, proximity to home, salary, bonus options – like a gym on site etc) The interview process goes for half an hour and at the end you walk out feeling frustrated. The questions were tough. Your answers felt inadequate. You were nervous throughout. Two weeks later you are contacted and informed that you were not the successful applicant. The feedback was that ‘you didn’t interview well by demonstrating confidence in your knowledge or clarity in delivering your message.’ You get a sinking feeling inside. The whole process feels like a waste. Your personality is predominating here. You were wanting that job. You wanted to interview well. And why is that? Underpinning everything is the deep desire for us to feel particular feelings.

The events are actually irrelevant. That’s impossible you want to tell me. How can the events be irrelevant? They are. What we all seek, are the feelings that the desired unfolding of events elicit. “Oooh, I landed the prize job! I feel recognised, proud, excited, elevated, satisfied, happy, celebratory, generally good……” The events are just a portal through for you to get the feelings that you want. We all have different stories about what makes us feel good, but we all chase those ‘good’ feelings.

A soul unfolding re the job application process may look like this: “Oh, I would really love to be involved in that advertised job role. I feel I have so much to GIVE to it.’ The interview comes along and you do your best, but you recognise that you were not in the flow on the day. The answers were not readily forthcoming and there were feelings of discomfort within. On leaving you review what has happened. What have I just learnt? Why was I feeling uncomfortable? Realisations happen……. I was not prepared enough; that style of interview challenges me. In future I would practice that style of interview with some-one who had knowledge to assist me. I was so invested in the ‘outcome’ of getting that job that I couldn’t relax and come across naturally. Can I let go of an outcome in future and just enjoy the process? This has really confirmed I’m motivated to move on from my current job and apply for other jobs. I will contact the interview panel and ask them to consider me for further jobs and explain my process with that interview. I hold an unwavering belief that if I am meant to get the job I will and if not something more suitable is waiting for me. Wow. I have grown from these events. I loved every minute. Life is amazing. I still have my current job, that I enjoy. Nothing has been lost, there is only growth.

In the latter scenario there is a decision to view the experience as positive and a learning tool regardless of how it unfolds or the outcome. This initially takes Courage. There is a letting go of expectations and wantings. This soul demonstrates a willingness to utilise experiences for growth. They are enabled to feel good about themselves regardless of circumstances. (There are still preferences expressed for particular life circumstances, but no attachment.) A feeling of completeness and acceptance of life starts to percolate within. Life becomes rich, playful, exploratory. Opportunities abound everywhere. Gratitude spills out towards the people who assist us and those that we can assist. You become inspiring to others. Joyful. More in soul than personality.